Market adoption of wireless LAN (WLAN) technology has exploded, as users from a wide range of backgrounds and vertical industries have brought this technology into their homes, offices, and increasingly into the public air space. This inflection point has highlighted not only the limitations of earlier-generation systems, but also the changing role that WLAN technology now plays in people's work and lifestyles, across the globe. Indeed, WLANs are rapidly changing from convenience networks to business-critical networks. Increasingly users are depending on WLANs to improve the timeliness and productivity of their communications and applications, and in doing so, require greater visibility, security, management, and performance from their network.
Connection reliability is critical for the overall health of a wireless network. When a connectivity problem arises, troubleshooting the problem can be difficult, given the number of potential causes of a loss of connectivity and/or the failure to initially establish network connectivity. In fact, troubleshooting a wireless connection often requires the involvement of a network administrator to diagnose the problem. In addition to connectivity problems, other potential problems may include authentication issues. Given the foregoing, a lay person is often unable to resolve the wireless connectivity issues without the assistance of a network administrator or other support staff. Accordingly, an enterprise is faced with the costs of providing troubleshooting support to ensure that end-user downtime is minimized.
In light of the foregoing, a need in the art exists for methods, apparatuses, and systems that address the foregoing problems and facilitate troubleshooting in a wireless network. Embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill this need.